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Saturday, February 21, 2015

A Friend Delivers a Warning - 52 Ancestors #8

John Perkins was the son of John & Judith (Gater) Perkins. He was baptized on September 14, 1609 in Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England and died in Ipswich, Massachusetts on December 14, 1686.

Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England

In September 1633 was living on a island that belonged to his father when he was warned by a friendly Indian, named Robin, that he was being targeted for an ambush. A small group of Indians were planning to come to see him as if they wanted to trade with him. However, there were forty canoes of Indians just waiting for him to come forward so they could attack.

John decided that he didn't want to face this alone and sought the advice of John Winthrop. Winthrop told John that when the small group arrived, John should "carry it roughly towards them, and threaten to shoot them, if they would not be gone, and, when their backs were turned, to strike the drum he had with him, besides his muskets, and to discharge them; so that six or eight young men, who were in the marshes hard by a mowing, having their guns ready charged, might take alarm, and the Indians would perceive their plot discovered, and hast away to sea again."

And it worked! He did as instructed and was happy to see the forty canoes go "fast as they possibly could to sea..." (History of Ipswich).

I guess he was pretty happy that Robin gave him a warning of what was supposed to happen. I hope he was able to repay the favor in some way.